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This was my first time doing the St. James art festival so I wasn't sure what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised. I was in the 3rd st. section but my space was actually on the corner of Magnolia and 4th st, intersecting four different sections. The setup and breakdown were a breeze due to the constant monitoring by the Louisville police, they kept the lanes open and traffic moving. The police were wonderful, polite yet firm and they really looked out for the artists, working alone I really appreciate that. Each section has different ammenities, my section provided breakfast, delivered boxed lunches & water, and boothsitters. The people of Louisville are very loyal to this show and turned out in droves all three days, even with the bit of rain on Saturday I still had people buying.

I managed to solicite some sales info from neighbors and friends (the names are withheld to protect their identity). In the inner court a first time woodturner did 5200. with the sales of his functional items (peppermills) but no sales of his decorative hollowforms. His neighbors, a painter & photographer didn't make booth fee. In my section a copper artist (wall art) did 2000, 1/2 from the prior year, fiber artist with large wall art didn't give exact figures but wasn't happy. Handmade clothing next to me did very well. I'm a jeweler (metalsmith) with prices ranging from 20 to 500, my sales were 5300. I'm not at all dissapointed with my sales but given the number of people at this show they should have been doubled, the economy rears its ugly head.

The pictures were taken from the back of booth, it's pretty much what my booth looked like all weekend.

Hopefully I'll be invited for next years show but if not I'll definately be applying again.

Well. First off this is one of those shows you have to experience before you retire from the circuit.The neighborhood is one that everyone might dream to live in.Turn of the century brown and graystones, the center courtyard,private gardens. A beautiful setting for an urban show (all 6 of them).

The organization is so well done, it almost runs itself.The Southern politeness is wittnessed everywhere.People ask how you are, and patiently wait for a answer. Yes ma'ams and no ma'ams the the order of the day.Load in and load out takes patience, but it just plain works.

I had asked a few vets what to expect. First, they said, you will end up on the inner court.Just the way it is, gotta pay your dues. Don't expect big sales, you will see less than half the traffic the outer parts receive.Well sports fans, the sages were correct on all accounts.

People did flow thru, and sales for Friday were typical for a three day show (Always call it "Booth fee Friday"), but right off the bat it was distressing to see the difference between the crowd inside, and the ones outside. Maybe a grass is always greener thing,but really felt like a gut punch.

Saturday, things were rolling nicely, had $5K in my sites, when the sunny forecast changed to rain. Now, inside is grass on grass, outside is booths on grass with pavement.It turned cold, the rain came around 2 or 3pm and it became a ghost town.Good bye $5K.

Sunday, well hope springs eternal but the cold temps and no sun didn't help things much, and we ended up a bit less than $2500 for a three day show. One meduim sized piece, the rest all small stuff.Damn.This covers show expense, food, the room but no profit. Translates into a lost weeked from a financial perspective. So I began my reflection on what I had experienced.

I was unprepared. My work takes a specific type of buyer. I don't do art that makes you smile, I need you to think a bit.I need a bit more of an urban adventurer, folks here pretty traditional in many respects (and this is just fine by me). For me to find my audience, I need that large cross section of bodies coming thru, inside we just didn't have it, and quite possibly the demographic is all wrong for me.

The show peeps said there was no power, and had I studied the map it would have occured to me that being placed in a North/South orientation with a tree canopy on two sides meant it's gonna be dark baby, and when your work is of the same nature, it's like trying to show bats in a cave setting.My work just didn't pop, so no moths to the flame for me.

Then the epiphany of sorts. No matter where I walked (my son spells me at the booth when I become frustrated, walking burns it off for me) there were no people in booths other than the didgerredoo dudes, or the "funny art" set ups. I am of the opinion the show is so large,that folks have the mindset they are going to see it all and walk and look without stopping. Kinda like shooping for a car by driving down the street and looking at all the dealers stock at 30 MPH. I did my usual unofficial count of 50 people walking by (do this several times every day), counted packages.Less than 10% had stuff, and what they did have was small. Got a bit better by the end of the day Sunday, but not much.

I have to say, before this comes off as overly negative, I loved the town, respect the show promoters and adore the people (just wish they'd open the purse strings up a bit). Had a fine time meeting and talking to folks, Nels set me straight with dinner advice (Irish Rover's hands down the best pub I have been to, and I love pubs).I was set up across from the historical society booth, asked for some gritty points of interest, and at the end of the show the director asked me to do some interpretive photography of the area, guided tour and all. Looking forward to that.

I have to also admit, the end of the court where I was set up felt like the tail of the dog (could use another reference but this is a family show).There was a "beads for Autism" booth. Excellent cause, but art show stuff? The iced tea sponsor right across.The dude was catatonic by Sunday after 3 days of begging people to try the stuff. Next to him, Costco.Then the historical society. Guy selling photographs of KrispyKreme donuts with miniature people climbing them. Hand made kites at the end(at least I think they were hand made). Don't mind paying my dues, but man, I felt like I was at the local farmers market. Started off feeling pretty damn good with folks congradulating us on making the cut. By the end, wishing I had gone to Cottonwood instead.

This past weekend we took our Mixed Media Framed art on a big road trip to St. Louis (about 6 hours away from us). To the Historic Shaw Neighborhood Art Fair. This is a organization that has had some big internal changes this past year. It was our first year at the show. Set up is easy. The booths are placed in the boulevard (in the grass) of the neighborhood. You can pull your car right up to your booth location. We arrived at 5:00 on Friday, with quick check in and friendly volunteers. Our neighbors, Tom and Linda were wonderful. We packed up and were out of the area very quickly on Sunday.

We had very good sales, making it the second best of the season. St. Louis has been very good to us this year and we will return again next year.

You are all welcome to join me at the NASGA sponsored annual sea glass festvial held in Hyannis, MA this upcoming weekend.

Here are the details:

North American Sea Glass Festival: October 9th & 10th

10am to 6pm on Saturday

10am to 5pm on Sunday

At the Cape Cod Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis, MA

$5:00 admission

over 50 sea glass artists, displays, lectures and a "Shard of the Year Award" with a first prize of $1000.00

My booth Sea Glass Jewelry by Danielle Renee' will be at booth #2. Please come by and say hello!

This is a grueling show to do. Friday hours until 10PM and then Saturday from 10 – 10 and Sunday from 10 – 5. It is worth it if the money is good. Unfortunately it wasn’t this year. There is ongoing entertainment which pulls potential buyers away from the booths. It didn’t seem much of a problem in 2009 but this year there were long stretches of time with no one in my booth and very few people walking around. Even counting the people crowding around the entertainment, the crowds seemed much smaller.

The person next to me seemed to do well with many small purchases but most people I talked to reported almost non-existent sales. I did less than half of what I did last year and just barely made expenses.

Aside from some issues regarding my booth space and layout in general the show seemed well organized. The weather was perfect, maybe just a tad warm but not the oppressive heat that Florida can deliver this time of year.

I am a little worried about my next two shows that are in the same general area.

Most likely I won’t be returning next year. I hope to be moving out of the area and this show is not worth traveling for.

40 Questions Craft Artist Blog Series – Question #33

Nothing probably irks craft artists more than after going through the jury process dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's than finding a re-seller who also made it through and sets up next to you. What do you do? Say something to the promoter? Pack up and leave? Sell that day but vow to never come back? Granted, you feel something needs to be done, just what road to take... This is why I am talking about this questions today because it is something that needs to be handled delicately. (Picture is from the "Oil Painting Village" of Dafen, China)

Question #33 How should I approach promoters when it comes to spotting re-sell at their events?

First, know the rules of the event. Every show is different and more than likely ran by different promoters/show organizers who set their own rules – some strict while others very lenient. This means read the fine print. Does the application say “homemade only art and crafts”? Or does it say “All art must be made and sold by the artist and the artist must be present during the duration of the show”? At the same time, notice what is said on the application regarding what actions the promoter will take if they spot re-sell at their event. Knowing what the promoter expects and how they intend to discipline those who break the rules is key to knowing how to proceed.

If you do see re-sell and no one is doing anything about it, when it clearly states that something will be done, here's what you should do... First, make sure what you suspect is re-sell is actually re-sell. It is almost like accusing someone of stealing – you must have some sort of proof or you could be opening yourself to much more than you might be prepared to deal with. Just imagine if someone accused you of re-sell when you are a true artist, it can easily cause quite a stir! If you have proof – say you saw them at other shows and were asked to leave for passing off re-sell – this is grounds for bringing it up to the promoter. At an opportune time, for you and the promoter, take him or her aside and talk them. Don't just attack them, but GENTLY tell them. It is better to assume they have no idea this person is a re-seller and mention that to them... “You might not know this , but I think the person in booth # ___ doesn't make their own work. I am only bringing this up as a concern, both to you as a promoter who I am “assuming” you want to maintain a great reputation for high quality of art and crafts, but it does bother me as I do play by the book and it doesn't sit well with me that this person who isn't playing by the rules is able to sell at the very same show. What you do about it, I truly understand is up to you, but in my good conscientiousness, I felt it necessary to bring it up to you.” If you bring up concerns to a promoter – whatever the concern is – in a polite, calm and concerned matter, more than likely the promoter will be respect and take action as well as thank you for bringing up the concern. Good promoters do rely on the help of others, such as good Samaritans, to be the eyes and ears for them because they can't be everywhere all the time.

Now what if you bring up a concern and the promoter could give a rats behind? This is a sure sign that despite your good intentions, this promoter just happens to be having a bad day, too busy to be concerned with a matter that seems low on the totem pole at that very moment, or is a plain and simple jerk. The best thing here is still be a better person, do what you have set out to do – sell your work to as many people as you can and at the end of the day leave and don't look back. In other words, do not go back and patronize that particular show again. It is just one of those lessons you can't learn any other way, but by experience.

What if you can't say anything at the show, what other options do you have? Fill out their questionnaires – they do read them! You can find a staff member and ask if they can get the promoter to come to your booth and talk to him/her then. One of the other options I recommend is send a business letter stating your concerns after the show. Sending a business letter might be a better option as it is a professional form of communication and you can state your concerns without being interrupted. Doing the very same thing via an email may work, but easily hastily written and can easily get deleted too. The letter must be professional in proper business letter format, proper grammar usage, and free of spelling errors. In the letter, start off by stating what you liked about the show, then follow by suggestions you have for them. The letter shouldn't be a “nasty gram” hard hitting and full of emotion right after you state “dear Mr./Mrs. ___”, but genuine and professional. The last thing you want is to come across as a prima donna and better than everyone else – you will never be taken seriously if you choose this direction. All in all at the end of the day, both the craft artist and the promoter are both human . We all make mistakes (as promoters can only judge a person's art by what they submit for jurying for example) and we all have feelings which can easily get hurt and ultimately you could be blacklisted from his/her events as well as their friends.

There are good promoters out there that are consistently getting better and better with each show. Then there are those out there who are more concerned with filling a show just for the sake of having a full show to show customers they offer many “vendors” to shop from. Sturdy bridges need to be made with both artists and promoters as we both are in the same boat – we both want to have successful shows. Sharing the knowledge craft artists have by stating when you are in an environment with like minded craft artists, everyone benefits – attendance grows when more high quality art work is offered, the quality of shoppers improves too, and more and more artists will want to apply as well – everyone wins. If no one raises their voice to promoters with regard to re-sell, then they will assume everything is fine and continue doing business as usual. Do realize you can only lead a horse to water, but with open minds and talking about your concerns with promoters will help to build better bridges and better shows... The next question will deal with how to spot re-sell at art fairs – this is great for both show coordinators and craft artists . Stay tuned! - Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com

Here is the "insiders" story on St. James Court...the true story of a very popular event, an excellent long article that discusses these topics:

• Why does the St. James Court Art Show Exist?

• How is the show run?
• How are the artists chosen?
• Here’s how the judging process works:
• How does the show make its money?
• How is the revenue spent? --- (really important for artists to know this)
  
• Economic Impact on the community --- (over $10,000,000 yearly)
  

October 15-17
Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, Michigan
200 artists

Saturday - 10 am-6 pm
Artist Reception:
Saturday - 6 pm
Sunday - 11 am-5 pm

Due to late cancellations we now have a few spaces open for the Great Lakes Art Fair.

Do you live near? We are working to establish a good solid indoor regional
event that you can keep in your art fair schedule twice a year. Wouldn't it be great to have a nearby show that you can count on? We have excellent exhibitors for this date but need to fill out the show. No jewelry and glass - other categories are open.

The advertising is rolling out and includes a WXYZ-TV Ch 7 TV sponsorship, Magic 105.1 radio sponsorship, numerous newspaper ads and stories across the region, plus a very cool social networking campaign to bring in new buyers for fun with their friends.

Midwest area art stars will be there (Tom Hale, Sonny Dalton, Cynthia Mann, Linda Chamberlain, Joe Cyberski, Robert Bridenbaugh, Shawn Messenger). Why not you?
Help us build a fine event that can extend your art fair season.

Booth fee: $400, includes electricity, 12 x 10 space with five feet behind; drive up to unload and load.

While it is fresh in your mind contact: Kristina Jones, Events and Marketing, Rock Financial Showplace -- 248-348-5600 ext. 236 or email info@greatlakesartfair.com

• Art fairs are always looking for ways to enhance the event both for artists and the attending public. This Fall the show will open on Friday at 12 pm and close at 8 pm. We will be returning with the hugely successful Friday Ladies Night Out promotion that drew over 2000 women to line up for entry on Friday! It also allows for some Friday setup for artists.
• Robust marketing campaign planned with media partners
  

hauling home the goods!

Fiber artist Sharon Snoeyink

• custom Great Lakes Art Fair discount coupons
• e-mail blast content
• free tickets, postcards and other collateral materials to distribute to their patrons
• drive up to your booth to unload and load
• artist hospitality area and reception
• artist gallery
  

Sept. 26-27,2010

Hamilton, OH

Booth Fee: $100.00

Jury Fee: $25.00

I loved the location of this show, the artists weren't cramped, we had tree lined "streets"- (they were golf cart streets). Plenty of trees and permenant sculptures behind and around the exhibitor spaces which made for a beautiful setting. Parking was close and people were there to shop. Set up was completely painless since there was room to bring your car right up to your space and get back out on Friday all day so noone was there all at the same time.

My sales were close to the 10x's the booth fee, so that rule of thumb worked for me. Sales were about the same on Sunday as Saturday so don't panic if Saturday doesn't do as well as you think it should. Another jewelry artists did better on Sunday than Saturday. If you do metal sculpture, you will do well at this show! People were walking all over the place with those things. (they were cool!) The photographer next to me did well and I think she would consider coming back, forgot to ask her. The water colorist on my other side did great work but didn't seem too happy with his sales. His stuff was great so that was unfortunate. I think the biggest thing with shows in this climate is to make sure you have a lot of options for people to look at. If they feel you don't have a big enough selection, they will go to the next booth. I found that demonstations work fantastic at shows, especially for a jeweler. Men don't always like to get stuck in our booths, especially if the show is heavy on jewlery (which is most of them), but guys like to see how things are made and will stop to look at least for a minute which is a minute more than you would have gotten. I'll be back to this show next year.